Charles h



(N0 Model.) A

. C. H. SHAFPBR.

n. PETERS Mmmm@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. Q

cHAELEs H sHAEEEe7 or EocKroED, ILLINOIS, Assrenon or ONE-HALE TO JONES, WOODRUFFSU GO., OF SAME PLACE.

SPRINKLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,322,I dated July 26, 1887.

Application tiled September 20, 1886. Serial No. 214,038. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- A

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. SHAEEER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Rockford, in the county ofWinnebago Yof automatic fire-extinguishers, but capable of lother applications. Its object is the equal distribution of water over an area within its capaclty; and it consists in the improved features of construction hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved sprinkler. Fig. 2 1 s an under face view of the rotary distribating-wheel. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section in isometrical perspective, and Fig. 4 is an Isometrical representation of the lower end portion of the yoke mechanism.

The valve-case l, which is the nozzle tothe sprinkler, is of tubular form, and its end portionis screw-threaded to connect with the water-supply pipe, and is also provided with a nut-formed projection, 2. A valve seat, 3, w1th central valve-opening, is fixed in the eX- treme inner end of the nozzle. The nozzle Is also provided with a transverse bridgebearing, 4, connecting opposite sides of the nozzle, and is 1loored inthe axial center thereof to support a valve-stem, 5, in a manner to permit of a free rotary and endwise movement in its axial support. A valve,6, with sultable facing, 7, preferably of soft metal, is

fixed on the end of the valve-.stern to engageV the valvefseat. The extreme outer end portion of theA nozzle outside of the nut-formed portion is prod-.Iced in curve conic form, as clearly shown, for a purpose to appear hereinafter.

The distributing portion 8 of the sprinkler 1s of disk form, having its edge slotted radially, and the tooth-like portions 9 of its edge are curved upward in disk or bowl form, and are each twisted -to place their peripheral edge on` atangent to a circle of less diameter than the diameter of the distributer, producing acurved 10 with relation to the curved buckets are such as to co-operate to impart a rotary motion tothe distributer. This distributer 8 is fixed to the projecting end of the valve spindle at the outlet-opening of the nozzle in such position lthereon that the inner bowl-formed portion of the buckets will overlap the extreme curved conic-formed portion of the nozzle, Vfor a purpose to appear hereinafter.

vA spiral spring, 11, is placed lon the valvestem between its bridgesupport and the distributer, and its spring action tends to relieve the valve from its seat.

Hangers 12 and 13 are formed with hook ends 14, to engage the projecting portions ot the nut 2, and the depending end of the hangers are provided with outward projecting hooks 15, to receive a clasp-bar, 16, to connect the lower ends of the hangers. A bridge-tree, 17, is supported at one end on projections 18 on the inner face of the hangers 12, and its other end is supported on an abutment, 19, placed on the inside ofl the hanger 13, having a foot support on a hook, 20, projecting from the lower end inner face of the hanger. The bridge-tree is providedwith a valve-adjusting screw, 2l, having a screw-threaded connection with the bridge in position to engage the axial center of the valve-stem at its projecting end, and serves to press the valve to its seat firmly.

The clasp-bar 16 is composed of two parts, with its meeting ends to overlap, and its outer ends are of'hook form to embrace the hook ends 15 of the hangers. Its center portion is of open form to admit a screw-driver or key to operate the valve-adjusting screw. The meeting ends of the two-part clasp-bar overlap each other, and their overlapping ends are joined by a solder having a low-temperature melting-point.

In the use of my improved sprinkler, the nozzle is suitably connected with the water- IOO supply, the hangers are put in place on the nozzle, the bridge-tree is then put in place within the hangers, andthe clasp-bar put in place on their lower ends. The valve is then adjusted to its seat by means of the adjustingscrew, which fits the apparatus for use.

Myimproved nozzle is capable of use iu iireprotection systems in which the water supply pipes are filled with water, or from which the water is excluded by air contained within the pipes, in both of which instances the spiral spring 11 may be omitted. It is also capable of use in what is known as the vacuum system, in which both air and water are excluded from the water-supply pipes until antomatieally admitted by the action of the fire or heat, in which instance the spring` 1l will open the valve and admit air to the vacuumpipes. lt will be observed that the hooksupport 20 of the abutment 19 and the connection oft-he bridge-tree bearing on the abutment are in independent vert-ical planes in suoli relation to cach other that when the clasp-bar 16 is separated force on the bridge-tree, either by the action of the spring l1, water, or airpressure on the valve, will operate to spread the hangers, throw them from their connection with the nozzle, permit the bridge-tree to drop from its supports, and the valve -to open.

VVhen my improved sprinkler is in place complete, heat sufcient to melt the solder will permit the claspbar to separate and open the valve, and water will flow through the nozzle against the distribnter and cause it to rotate and deliver the water through the outlet-openings in iis central portion, and also from the openings between the curved reaction-buckets.

It will be noticed that in the rotations of the distributer a portion of the water discharged from the reaction buckets will be thrown against the curved conic surface of the nozzle, and will be deliected upward and outward in a manner to distribute the discharged water substantially uniform over the area within its capacity. \Vhen the apparatus is placed near the ceiling of the apartment, the upward outward throwing of the water by the action of the reactionbuckets and the curved conic ends ofthe nozzle will serve to wet the ceiling, and also to cover a greater area.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of a nozzle, a valve-seat within the nozzle, a valve to engage the valveseat mounted on one end of and having an axial stem-support, and a rotary distributor mounted ou the other end of said valve-stein, to rotate therewith, and composed of a single piece comprising a disk having a circular series of openings,inclined lips depending therefrom beneath said openings, and a radial series of reaction-buckets formed bythe vertically bent and twisted peripheral portions having their edges tangential to the disk,sub stantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a nozzle having its lower` external part formed to present a curved conicdelivery end extension,ofa valveseat within said nozzle, a valve to engage the valveseat mounted on one end of and having an axial support, a rotary distributer mounted on the other end of said valvestem to rotate therewith, and composed of a single piece comprising a disk having a slitted peripheral portion extending beyond the extension and bent vertically and twisted to present reaction-buckets adjacent to the curved conic pon tion, and having their edges tangential to the disk, and a circular series of openings formed in said disk, and lips depending therefrom beneath said openings, substantial] y as set forth.

3. The combination, with the nozzle having the internal valve-seat and bridge, of a spintile-bearing iu said bridge to rotate and move longitudinally therein, avalve mountedon the upper end of said spindle, a s prinklingdisk secured to the other end of said spindle, a spring interposed between said disk and bridge and adapted to move the valve from its seat, and a hanger and movable bridge supporting the lower end of the spindle to hold the valve on its seat, and a solder for holding saidhanger in position, substantially as set forth.

et. The combination, with the nozzle having the internal valve-seat and bridge, of a spindie located in said bridge to rotate and move longitudinally therein, valve on one end of said spindle and sprinkling disk on the other end, a spring interposed between said bridge and disk to throw the valve away from its seat, a horizontal bridge sustaining the lower end of said spindle, an adjusting screw bearing in said last-mentioned bridge, hangers of the valve-supporting yoke, and a clasp-bar having a solder'connection of a low-melting temperature and recessed to expose the end of the screw, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a nozzle,a valve seat, a valve to engage said seat mounted on one end of and having an axial stemsupport adapted to have a longitudinal play, a spring adapted to throw the valve from its seat, hangers depending from the nozzle, the clasp-bar having a solder-connection, a horizontal bridge sustaining said stem and valve, but formed separate therefrom, said bridge having a free connection with a hanger at one end and a free abutmentconnection with the hanger at the other end, and sprinkling-disk located on the lower end of said stem-support, substantially as set forth.

CHARLES H. SHAFFER.

Witnesses:

A. O. BEHEL, JACOB BEHEL. 

